Magnetic sweepers



Sept. 26, 1967 R. w. BuDD 3,343575 MAGNETIC swEEPERs Filed Sept. 8, 1965 Jig/.l

20 INVENTOR ROBERT W BUDD BYM/W ATTOR/VEY United States Patent O 3,343,675 MAGNETIC SWEEPERS Robert W. Budd, 22525 Telegraph, Southfield, Mich. 48075 Filed Sept. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 485,747 2 Claims. (Cl. 209-215) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A magnetic sweeper having a tubular housing to removably receive a tubular Cartridge carrying one or more magnets. Said housing having wheels, a handle for rolling the housing on said wheels, and a bracket mounting said handle upon the housing.

This invention relates to improvements in magnetic devices for sweeping up scraps of magnetizable metal from factory floors and similar areas, and particularly relates to such devices as are provided with magnets which are removable independently of the device to afford release from the magnetic -fields of accumulated scrap 'for deposit in receptacles.

Prior practice has been to non-removably insert magnets into an elongated tube of non-magnetizable material and equip the tube externally with an annular Collar slidable longitudinally of the tube to push accumulated scrap along the outer surface of the tube beyond the effective range of magnetic fields. Such devices have proved awkward and cumbersome to manipulate, and have a disadvantage in that they wear the outer surface of the tube by the abrasive action of scraps sliding thereon.

An object of the present invention is to insert at least one magnet in a tubular Cartridge and to provide an elongated tubular housing to slidingly, telescopically, and removably receive said Cartridge in assembly.

A further object is to provide latchng means to releasably retain said Cartridge within said housing to resist undesired withdrawal of the Cartridge from said housing, and to afford removal of the Cartridge when desired.

Another object is to provide Wheels or the like secured to the assembled device to elevate said device from the fioor at a height predetermined by the extent and strength of the magnetic field.

Still another object is to provide a bracket mounting the tubular members and having an elongated handle to atford directing the device in use.

These and various other objects are attained by the Construction hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational sectional view of the device in assembly.

FIG. 2 is a elevational view of one end of the device taken on line 2-2 of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the opposite end of the device taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal, partial, sectional view of the device on line 4-4 of FIG. 1, showing a latchng means, and showing the Cartridge partially withdrawn and the latchng means disengaged.

a FIG. 5 is a partial view similar to FIG. 3 but portraying a modification of the latchng device.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5 and further illustrating a modification of said lodgng device.

a FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but is taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

In these views the reference Character 1 designates permanent magnets, alternately disposed with spacers 2 in a tubular Cartridge 3. The spacers may be of either magnetizable material or non-magnetizable material, which option affords two selections as to the path followed by the magnetic field. The Cartridge 3 is received telescopically within a tubular housing 4. Both the cartridge 3 and the housing 4 are preferably of non-magnetizable material so as not to effect the extent or strength of the magnetic fields.

One end of the housing rigidly receives a wheel 5, having a hub 6 which is received in the end portion of said housing as by a press fit. The opposite end portion of the housing also receives a wheel 7 having a hub 8 which carries a set screw 9 to secure said wheel 7 for rotation with the assembled Cartridge and housing.

A bracket 10 has its end portions 11, 12 bent at right angles to straddle said Wheels 5 and 7. The end 11 of the bracket is secured in position by a set screw 13. The inner portion 14 of said screw is unthreaded and is of a diameter to be received concentrically in the wheel 5 and to aiford rotation thereon of said wheel. The opposite end portion 12 of the bracket is formed with an annulus 16, dimensioned to receive the housing 4.

A handle 17 is secured in any Convenient manner to the bracket to aiford means for manipulating the device over a surface to remove metallic scrap, etc. A second handle 18 fa-cilitates holding the construction while removing the Cartridge 3 to release accumulated sweepings."

As best shown in FIG. 4, one end portion of the housing is formed with an L-shaped latchng slot 15 which receives a pin 19 extending through the Corresponding end portion of the Cartridge 3. It is proposed that the pin shall be so disposed as to engage frictionally in said slot to resist undesired withdrawal of the Cartridge from the housing, but to aiford manual release from the slot. A spring member 22 reacts between the inner end face of the hub 6 and the adjacent end face of the Cartridge, to intensify said frictional engagement.

It is not regarded as essential that the Cartridge rotate with the housing, and therefore an arrangement such as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 may -be employed wherein the end portion of the Cartridge receiving the pin 20 protrudes slightly from the housing, and said pin 20 is formed to engage between prongs 21 of yieldably resistant material. Thus the Cartridge is latched from withdrawal from the housing, but need not rotate with the housing.

What I claim is:

1. An improvement in magnetic sweepers for magnetizable debris, said improvement including,

an elongated tubular housing,

one or more magnets received in said housing,

a first means to elevate said housing to a predetermined height from a surface to be swept,

a second means associated with said magnets to aiford removal of said magnets as a unit from said housing to release accumulated debris from the effect of the magnetic field, and

a third means interconnecting said housing and said second means to resist undesired withdrawal of said magnets from said housing.

2. An improvement in magnetic sweepers as set forth in claim 1,

said second means being a tubular Cartridge receivng said one or more magnets and being telescopically and removably carried in said housing,

said third means being-latching means interconnecting said Cartridge and said housing to resist undesired Withdrawal of said Cartridge from said housing, and to afiord rotation of said cartrdge with said housing.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,648,434 8/1953 Russell 209-215 2,654,480 10/1953 Stem 209-215 2,709,002 5/1955 Hoff 209-215 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE HARRIS, JR., Examner. 

1. AN IMPROVEMENT IN MAGNETIC SWEEPERS FOR MAGNETIZABLE DEBRIS, SAID IMPROVEMENT INCLUDING, AN ELONGATED TUBULAR HOUSING, ONE OR MORE MAGNET RECEIVED IN SAID HOUSING, A FIRST MEANS TO ELEVATE SAID HOUSING TO A PREDETERMINED HEIGHT FROM A SURFACE TO BE SWEPT, A SECOND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MAGNET TO AFFORD REMOVAL OF SAID MAGNETS AS A UNIT FROM SAID HOUSING TO RELEASE ACCUMULATED DEBRIS FROM THE EFFECT OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD, AND A THIRD MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID HOUSING AND SAID SECOND MEANS TO RESIST UNDESIRED WITHDRAWAL OF SAID MAGNETS FROM SAID HOUSING. 